Clash of the PokéGods
by Authenti
Summary: Spoilers for those who haven't been to Spear Pillar. Amber sets off for Mount Coronet after hearing Cyrus' plans, hoping to prevent him from erasing the world. Knowing that he may have legendary Pokémon at his disposal, though, Amber isn't too confident.
1. Good Luck!

Amber pulled on her blue polo-neck jumper over her purple shirt and picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and slipping her other arm through the strap. Not for the first time, she wondered if she was making a mistake. Mount Coronet was a tough place to hike through anyway, but now with the knowledge of what she would meet at the top? It felt like she was in way over her head.

But Tommy and Cynthia would be there for support, and she had her Pokémon for protection. And above all, she'd made a promise to herself. Amber never went back on her promises.

The teenage trainer made her way downstairs, speeding up the journey there by walking down the escalator. She blinked and looked up from the floor, realising that several pairs of eyes were on her.

"Er… Hello?"

Nurse Joy, her trademark Chansey and about four other trainers including a member of Team Galactic were all staring at her solemnly. The Galactic Grunt looked uncertain, then stepped forwards and saluted. Amber tensed. What was going on?

"I… I know what my boss is doing up Mount Coronet. I heard your speech in front of the Pokémon Centre yesterday." He bit his lip, going very pale. Amber relaxed a little and nodded. The truth about Cyrus' plans had been a shock to her, so she could only imagine how it must be to someone who'd followed him all the way.

"We all heard," a Ranger in a red uniform said, her hand straying to the Escape Rope at her hip. "We're not strong enough to help, but we wanted to wish you luck." She unclipped the object from her belt and held it out. "In case you need to abseil or climb or anything, you can have this. It's top-notch – all Rangers get a special kit, and this was part of mine." Amber blinked and took the Escape Rope. "It'll get you out of a pinch."

"You sure?" The Ranger nodded and stepped back. The Galactic member couldn't seem to meet her eyes any more. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head slowly. "You beat me once before. Back at the HQ. I know you're strong."

"So what's the problem?"

"I… You might not be strong _enough_. I'm sick of Galactic hurting people… I-"

Amber put a steadying hand on his shoulder, realising how young he actually was despite the uniform. "Don't blame yourself for what Team Galactic did as a whole. And you're not the only one who doesn't know how this will turn out." She turned to the sliding door and it shuffled open slowly. "I don't, either. But I have to try. They need me up there, and it's my duty as a triple-region Champion." She flashed an encouraging smile over her shoulder. "Thanks for the encouragement, guys."

Nurse Joy's expression went from worried to determined. "Good luck, Cutter."

"Yeah! We got your back!" The other trainers joined in with their own words of faith, and Amber set off with a lightened heart.

_I hope Tommy got the same reaction. He needs the confidence more than I do._

---

Almost an hour later, Amber had battled her way through the cave network of Mount Coronet, her Bibarel realising the gravity of the situation about halfway through and putting up a valiant effort against a Geodude before she managed to switch it out with Rexxie the Feraligatr. Bibarel excelled at clearing rocks out of the way and climbing up steep inclines that its trainer couldn't, but it certainly wasn't a born battler… even if it thought it was.

Amber clung to this Pokémon's fur as it scaled the last cliff, daring herself to look up. Strangely, despite having a fear of heights, looking down didn't bother her. It was fine knowing she was tethered to something. But looking up, into the deep of the sky, she became dizzy and it frightened her to think about how endless it was. The dizzy feeling left when she buried her face in Bibarel's fur, and the Pokémon sped up, sensing its trainer's distress.

"Bibaah. Bibarelarel."

Amber eased her grey eyes open, loosening her grip and extending one leg to touch the ground shakily. "Th-thanks, Marten." She felt like her knees were going to give way, but the feeling passed a few moments later and she allowed herself to let go of the Bibarel, fumbling with the Great Ball and returning the under-levelled Pokémon before things got serious.

"Hey! You can't be here!" someone yelled, and she whirled around to fix the two Team Galactic members with a furious stare.

"I just fought twelve of you at once because you decided not to play fair." She took out her anger on a pebble and kicked it viciously over the edge of the cliff. "I have a Feraligatr and a Luxray at my disposal, but I swear I am going to lose it if one more person makes me battle other than Cyrus!"

"You're just a kid. Get lost before we really go Galactic on your ass." The man stepped forwards, smirking…

…and suddenly saw stars when he received a punch to the face that knocked him backwards several steps.

"I AM NOT," Amber screamed at him, "IN THE MOOD." The man covered his bleeding nose in horror and his female partner backed off, terrified. "Now get the _hell _out of my sight before I really violate the Trainer Code and I end up having to explain to Cynthia why Rexxie has blood on her claws!"

Amber began shaking as the two Galactic members backed off, reaching for the Feraligatr's Pokéball. They then turned and ran, and Amber collapsed against the rock face. The stress of what she was going to face if Cyrus was successful was really starting to get to her, and she scared herself with how she'd accidentally channelled this into her anger.

"M-maybe I'm not ready…" she mumbled to herself, teeth clacking together in the cold of Mount Coronet's peak. There was a loud rumble of thunder from somewhere overhead, and the snow stopped falling. Amber glanced upwards at the darkening sky and took a firm grip on the rock to steady herself as she made her way towards the stone steps just ahead. She had no choice now. She'd come too far.

Commander Jupiter nudged Mars and pointed to the shivering trainer that was approaching them, grinning in amusement. They nodded and took up positions either side of the steps. As Amber approached, Mars waved nonchalantly.

"Going somewhere?"

"Oh, for Arceus' sake. Not you. Not both of _you. _Didn't you learn your lesson the first ten times?"

Jupiter put her hand on her hip. "You only beat us twice, FYI. And I'd say we got a lot stronger since then, wouldn't you, Commander Mars?"

"Oh, I'd have to agree with you there." The redhead fidgeted with her hair, this apparently being more important than the situation they were in.

Amber narrowed her eyes and pulled out a Pokéball and a Heal Ball, but a yell from behind her made her falter.

"Amber, wait!" The blond-haired boy skidded on the black ice just behind her, accidentally crashing into her. Both ended up on the floor, and Rexxie's Pokéball hit the ground with a thud. The Feraligatr stomped once, then turned to look at her trainer in confusion.

"Fera…?"

"Tommy, what the hell!"

"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't stop!" He rolled to the side, nursing a graze on his elbow. "Anyway, looks like I got here just in time. We'll both take you on!" He raised his voice at the two Team Galactic battlers, and they smirked at him disdainfully.

"Alright, if you and your girlfriend think you're up for it."

"I'm not his-"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Both trainers barked, a conditioned response after a year's worth of encounters. This was met with a shrug and a half-hearted sigh before two Pokéballs with the 'G' insignia hit the ground and burst open to expel a Skuntank and a Purugly, both letting out war cries and charging forwards.

"Go! Munchlax!"

"Rexxie, you're up!"

The Feraligatr braced itself, the claws on its feet crushing the layer of ice over the rock to get a hold, and the Purugly crashed into her middle. The catlike Pokémon pushed hard for a few seconds, paws unable to get a grip on the icy ground.

"Now!" Amber snapped, and suddenly her Feraligatr grasped the cat's shoulders with strong claws and lifted the heavy Purugly clear off the ground. With a mammoth effort, Rexxie hurled the Pokémon at its trainer, and Mars gave a cry of horror as her Purugly's weight winded her as well as pinned her to the ground.

Amber glanced across to see how Tommy was doi-

"_Oh for Arceus' sake!_" she yelled, irritated, as his Munchlax was thrown backwards into a rock. "Why, in the name of Missingno, do you insist upon making that Pokémon battle by itself? Keep it out and make it watch your stronger Pokémon, don't just hurl it into a battle it can't win!"

Tommy turned on her angrily. "It was an unlucky break! Sure, it's easy for you to say, with your experience in three regions and- and your big dumb Feraligatr! Some people actually have to put work into getting stronger!"

"How do you think I _got _so much experience? I worked damn hard for my badges, Tommy, and you could learn a thing or t-"

Munchlax opened its eyes, seeing his trainer and his friend arguing yet again over him, and something snapped. If that human girl wanted to put his efforts down again, he was _just not having it._

"Munchlax!" the short Pokémon yelled, its eyes glinting in determination, and it leapt to its feet in a mad charge forwards, twisting at the last moment to knock into the Skuntank with its shoulder. There was a loud _crack_ and time seemed to pause for a brief millisecond, then Skuntank flew backwards with a broken wail and crashed into the steps in front of Commander Jupiter.

Amber stared, just as incredulous at the Skuntank's defeat as Jupiter.

"…Wow."


	2. Cyrus

Tommy picked his Munchlax up and it fell unconscious in his arms almost immediately after smiling triumphantly up at him.

"Oh… I… I'm sorry for yelling, Munchlax." A broad grin spread across his face. "You did good, buddy. You did real good." He returned it to its Pokéball and flashed the grin at Amber, who shook herself free of her shock and stepped forwards.

"That's it, then. I think we're done here. I know those were your strongest Pokémon. Your others don't stand a chance."

Jupiter growled miserably and stood aside. Mars merely coughed out some kind of insult and returned her Purugly, remaining where she lay out of exhaustion and breathlessness.

"It doesn't matter," she wheezed. "We were just a… distraction…!"

"Yeah! We were stalling-"

Amber butted in immediately. "And it took us what, two minutes to beat you, with one Pokémon each? Get out of here before someone gets hurt." She stormed between the two defeated Commanders and up the stone steps, Tommy in hot pursuit.

At the top, Cyrus was waiting.

"Ah, if it isn't my pathetic young rival and her weakling _friend_." He spat the word as if it were some kind of curse.

"Stop whatever it is you're doing, Cyrus." Tommy ran a few steps forwards, but Cyrus merely dropped a Pokéball on the ground, and a huge Gyarados appeared in front of him, roaring loudly at the two young trainers. Amber saw Tommy cover his ears, paling considerably, and Cyrus turned away.

"Everything is ready for the creation of a new world. Now, all will end. And everything will begin. With this, the Red Chain made from the crystals of the three lake Pokémon. And this, the Red Chain I replicated with technological means..." Cyrus held out his hands, both clenched around two identical blood-coloured loops of some kind of unknown material. "With these Red Chains I will pry open the portal to another dimension. I command that you unleash your power for me!"

Something shifted in the air and underfoot. Amber and Tommy had to steady themselves against the shockwaves and there was a barely-audible gasp behind them from one of the two Commanders.

There was a noise like television static that forced its way into Amber's mind, making her cry out in pain from the sheer volume until it faded, leaving her with a nasty headache. She forced herself to look ahead, everything else zoned out of focus. There were two blurs in the air, like heat rising from a desert, and suddenly they twisted, pulsated, and finally tore apart.

"Dialga, the mythical Pokémon, and the master of time! ...And the other. Palkia, the mythical Pokémon, and the master of space and dimensions!"

Amber could do nothing but watch. _I'm too late, _she thought. _I'm too late, I'm too late…_

The tips of some white claws emerged from the portal on the right, and the jaws of some great beast from the one on the left. These were followed by the rest of their bodies, and finally there was a bone-shaking quake as Palkia put its left foot down on the cracked temple floor. Another, louder one followed as Dialga's two front feet crashed down together.

"I've waited so long for this moment, Dialga and Palkia. Shaping this world is a double spiral of time and space." Another two quakes as the Pokémon emerged fully from the vortices. "Yes, the very things that you have the ability to control! You will do my bidding! I will have your abilities as mine! With the power I wield, I will create an entirely new world! The incomplete and ugly world we have now can disappear. I am resetting everything to zero. Nothing can remain." The chains in Cyrus' hands glowed crimson and floated upwards, then vanished, reappearing on each legendary Pokémon's midriff. "It is all for making the ultimate world. A world of complete perfection. Nothing so vague and incomplete as spirit can remain."

Amber thought about this. Spirit was what made her come up here and risk everything. Was it necessary?

Cyrus had raised a question she couldn't answer. She seemed to have failed at her mission – she was too late; there was nothing she could do…

No. Her promise. She had promised herself she would keep trying, no matter what. If she didn't do anything, who would? Cynthia clearly wasn't going to arrive in time, and there was no way Tommy was up for it. It was all up to her.

Cyrus staggered forwards with a growl of pain. Directly behind him, Amber cracked the knuckles on her right fist loudly and Tommy winced.

"Augh! Was that really necessary? Your efforts are useless! I have both Dialga and Palkia under my control! Nothing you can do can stop me!"

Tommy grimaced. For once, Cyrus was right. Did punching the guy actually achieve anything at all?

Amber seemed to think so. "Spirit is a vital part of life. Admit that you're angry right now, and maybe I'll go easy on you."

"The great Cyrus does not rely on pitiful emotions!"

There was a collection of wavering cries from overhead, and all humans looked skyward.

"...I should have expected as much. Uxie, 'The Being of Knowledge.' Azelf, 'The Being of Willpower.' And Mesprit, 'The Being of Emotion'..." Each of the Lake Guardians gave their respective calls of recognition as they heard their names. "The Pokémon have come to protect Sinnoh? Pathetic and worthless. It takes the three of them, the three lake Pokémon that symbolize spirit, to balance either the Pokémon of time or space. But they can't maintain balance against the two. Not when both Dialga and Palkia are here. Their coming here is in vain. So much meaningless drama. Now, children. You've constantly interfered with my plans, but you will be forgiven. After all, there will remain no spirit for all time when I am done. All spirit will disappear. It will be ripped away... From you! From your Pokémon! From those precious to you...! It is time! My dream will be my reality!" All at once, there was a terrible rumbling noise. It filled the air and made the ground shake violently, a black patch appearing on the ground before Cyrus. Amber felt herself fill with a feeling of horrible dread… "What is this pressure I feel…? Something… is enraged?"

Tommy grabbed Amber's arm and tugged gently. She could feel him shaking, until she realised that it was her who was trembling. Together they edged backwards and Tommy let go. They watched as the black patch was joined by others, which morphed into a black abyss. And then…

_Eyes._

"Oh Arceus," she breathed, the horrific feeling increasing tenfold. Amber found herself unable to move. It was a delicate balance between wanting to run for her life and wanting to curl up into a ball and turn comatose. All she knew was that it was watching her. It knew they were there, and it was going to strike.

"Interesting. So, there is a Pokémon that can only appear as a shadow." Amber couldn't tear her attention away from the terrible creature in the blackness in order to properly hear Cyrus' words. "Regardless, the effort is rash and foolish. I have harnessed the powers of Dialga and Palkia..." His mention of the two powerful entities made her shake off her terror for a second and watch him as he spread out his arms. Was he… shaking?

At that moment, two things registered in her brain. The first was Cyrus' voice.

"I, Cyrus, won't have any more interferererererere...!"

The second was an otherworldly scream accompanied by a rush of pure black.

Amber lost consciousness.


	3. Curiouser and Curiouser

Amber awoke to a blur of light and sound. Someone in a dark outfit was fussing over her, and a Luxray was licking her face. She shut her eyes again and sat up, a painful throbbing starting up in her head.

"Aargh… What… Where's Cyrus? How come we're not dead?"

Cynthia offered her a bottle of water, which she accepted gratefully and took a long drink from.

"Something happened… Cyrus is gone. We're not sure where. A slightly more pressing matter, however, is that there is a rift between dimensions and a warp in time and space spreading outwards from Spear Pillar." Cynthia looked pale and drawn, and Amber got to her feet. "Oh, and… there's a man lurking nearby who says he knows you. He turned up out of nowhere just after I got here, and he helped me pick you two up and move you away from the rift. But I made him stay back after that, just in case."

The trainer frowned and handed the bottle back, stroking her Luxray's mane. "I don't know any…"

"Amber! I was worried!"

"Looker!" the trainer called, grinning. "No idea who you were on about for a minute," she added to Cynthia, then turned and greeted the familiar man with a handshake. "Late to the party again, I see."

Cynthia sighed as the man in the overcoat gave a tired smile. If he was on good terms with Amber, he was probably annoying. That girl made the weirdest friends.

"It seems I am always late to something. Now, what happened here? The Champion of Sinnoh over there is being so uncooperative." Cynthia gave him a nasty glare and stalked off to circle the rift in the ground, circling it slowly from a distance.

Amber blinked, then gave an uneasy laugh. "Actually… she's not the Champion any more, per say. She still takes on the role of being Champion, but I beat her."

"Twice," Tommy groaned, struggling to stand. Amber gave him a hand and yanked him to his feet. Looker backed off a few steps to give the boy room, and couldn't help but smile.

"You did? All of that, as a mere child?"

"Looker, I'm sixteen."

"A child nonetheless. But I congratulate you."

Amber rubbed her arm sheepishly. Tommy walked slowly over to the portal, then stopped and glanced around.

"Hey… All the pillars are twisted!" Hearing this, Amber followed his line of sight and made a face.

"Ouch. Aren't those made of stone?"

Cynthia nodded and rejoined the group. "It was probably Giratina. If I'm right about what happened here-"

Tommy shoved in front of her. "I can _tell _you what happened. Cyrus went too far, that's what happened. He summoned Palkia and Dialga and they look kind of like the pictures in the story books my mom used to read me when I was a little kid. And then the floor turned black and this thing came out of the blackness and I think it took Cyrus." He paused for a while, letting it sink in, then stepped aside. "My head hurts…"

Cynthia glanced back at the portal in the ground. "Well… one thing's for certain. That portal has to be closed. If not… Sinnoh will suffer for it. And maybe not just this region." She approached it with an uncertain expression. Even with her experience of pursuing myths and legends as the Sinnoh Champion, she had never encountered anything like this. "Someone has to go in there and find Giratina, and somehow convince it to seal off the dimension. By force, if necessary."

Looker followed her to the portal and stared at it solemnly.

"…As… A-as a member of the International Police, i-it is my duty to-"

"I'll go," Amber interjected suddenly. The two older people stared at her, wide-eyed. She tried to smile, but couldn't. "Dad always said to face my fears or I'd be stuck with them, and quite frankly that Giratina thing terrifies me. And… I'd rather go out with a bang than run away and let the world deal with a problem I could have stemmed. My parents would never see the end of it back home." She moved forwards, and Looker held out an arm to block the way.

"Amber, you are not going in there. It is too dangerous. I will go, and that is the final thing. I see the look of defiance in your eyes, but I will not be swayed."

Amber rested her hand on her Luxray's head. "You ready, Stat?"

"Luuuh." Without warning, Amber ducked under Looker's blocking arm and stood at the edge of the portal, holding up one arm to signal a goodbye to the others and Buneary-hopping unceremoniously into the middle of the rift, Stat following close behind.

She felt her insides knot and turn inside out, and her centre of gravity fell all over the place. Something hit her back and she and her Pokémon fell in a dazzled heap on the ground.

And there they would have stayed for a good twenty minutes or so had Cynthia not somehow managed a perfect landing on her feet nearby.

"Planning on staying there all day?" she asked sarcastically. Amber groaned and shoved Stat to one side. The Luxray staggered to its feet and immediately its fur stood on end as it realised exactly where it was.

"Give me a break. Does the word 'day' even apply any more?" She struggled to her feet and realised she felt about fifty times lighter than normal. "Oo. That's weird."

"I saw the three Lake Guardians enter the portal while you were knocked out, so I think they're in here somewhere."

"You don't say," Amber groaned, rubbing her aching head. "I suppose we just head this way, since it's the only path – pa- puh-" She stuttered to a halt and froze in place.

"What's the problem?"

"Look."

Cynthia looked.

Stat was the first one to speak. "Luuuh? Luxray lux?"

"Mhm… mh… heheh…" Amber tore her eyes away from the sickening swirl of oblivion that she'd accidentally seen by looking over the edge, and suddenly dived for the ground and clung to it, her arms fixing themselves around the sides of the rocky pathway and her eyes shutting tight.

"That's… some drop."

"Meeiiiyeeeh," Mesprit nodded in agreement. Cynthia blinked at the Pokémon for a moment before her eyes widened and she stepped back.

"So you _are _here… Why? Is there something you can do?"

"Mii…" The Emotion Pokémon floated over to Amber, its tails gently brushing her face. She didn't respond. "Mesprit?"

"I don't care who it is," Amber mumbled, muffled; "I'm not moving."

"Amber, I think you should do as it says."

"I'm not moving," she repeated, eyes still clenched shut. She felt a horrible lurch as the Pokémon took hold of her blue jumper and lifted her. Normally, this wouldn't be possible – but in the Distortion World, the human weighed almost nothing. She felt her grip on the rock falter, and suddenly she was floating.

Not for long, though. Chirping to itself, Mesprit flung her out into space. She couldn't scream out of fear, but suddenly she felt herself being pulled to the side by gravity – if it could even be referred to as gravity.

"…Huh?" This was all the noise the girl managed to get out before her feet touched down on solid rock. She looked back at where she had come, and found Cynthia looking amazed. Amber realised she was standing on a slab of rock that was at a 90-degree angle to the one she'd been thrown from.

Stat, persuaded by more melodic twittering from Mesprit, closed her eyes and took a wild leap, the same strange pull affecting her and gently gluing her feet to the vertical rock face.

"Luuux! Luxray-raaeeeh!"

Amber noted the delighted smile on the Pokémon's face and took an experimental step to the right. "Whoa." Another step. "Oo, this is actually…" A long leap to another platform… "…Kind of fun!"

"Be careful! You could still miss!" Cynthia called. Mesprit did a roll in mid-air and cried out loudly until everyone was paying attention. Then it tumbled forwards and flew straight down…

"Technically, though," Amber said, after a while, "is that actually 'down'?"

Cynthia slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. This was going to take a while.


	4. Deoxawhat?

There was no way of telling time in the Distortion World – her Pokétch had stopped working and was unresponsive, and there was neither a sun nor a moon in sight. It was, however, a fairly short amount of time before Amber and Cynthia reached any kind of landmark aside from odd plant-like structures and upside-down lakes.

The Lake Trio occasionally appeared to guide the way through a complicated mess of warped scenery, until finally they touched down on a platform larger than those they'd seen before. There were three identical ditches in the floor, large enough to fit…

"What are those?" Amber asked, hopping up and sailing through the air to land in front of a circular object. She touched it once; it felt like rock. Uxie flew up from behind it and chimed at her, floating towards the nearest dip in the floor and doing a somersault down through the hole at the bottom.

"I think they're trying to get us to do something," Cynthia explained, approaching the ditch and risking a look over the edge. "Look, the bottom's too small for a human to fit through, so it can't be that."

Amber frowned. "I think I have an idea." She pulled out a Great Ball and cast it beside the boulder. The Bibarel from earlier appeared. It let out a friendly chattering noise, greeting its trainer, then suddenly glanced around and its fur stood on end.

"Bibaah bibabibarel barel!"

"Listen, we're in another dimension. It's scary at first but you get used to it. Now, will you do me a favour and push this rock into that hole over there?" The Bibarel covered its eyes with its front paws and shuddered, but she gently prised one paw away and smiled. "Come on, you can do it. I don't have any other Pokémon who know Strength, you know."

Bibarel seemed to freeze for a moment, then a steely glint in its eye appeared and it uncovered its face, clenching its paws and standing tall. "Bibah!"

"Thaaat's the Bibarel I know and love," Amber chuckled, standing aside. Bibarel firmly planted its feet on the ground and wrapped its arms around the boulder, grunting as it gave a hefty shove. "Still, if we're light, I don't understand why the boulder isn't."

"Must just be the way this world works," Cynthia mused. "In any case, hurry up. I can see Azelf up ahead."

Once the boulder slid down into the ditch and stuck there with a satisfying thud, Amber scratched Bibarel's ears and returned her Luxray. Bibarel scooped her up with one arm under her knees and the other supporting her shoulders.

"Amber, what are you doing?"

"I dunno, actually. Bibarel seems to know what it's doing, though, and I hardly think I carry any weight in this situation." She grinned. "Sorry, terrible pun."

"Bibah!" The fuzzy Pokémon began a bizarre Buneary-hopping gait towards the edge of the platform and then jumped to the next one along, managing greater distances than Amber could. "Biba… Bih… Bih… Bibarel," it finally announced after three more long leaps to a higher platform on which Azelf was waiting, floating haphazardly above another boulder. It set Amber down on the rock and got to work on the next boulder, shoving it roughly into a gap in the floor where it fell straight down.

They heard a yell of fright from below right after the boulder hit the ground, and Amber peered over the edge to see a frazzled-looking Cynthia standing on one foot in a weird dancing pose with clouds of dust settling around the boulder that had landed barely an inch away.

"Sorry!"

"G-gaahh… Y-you should be! Look where you're dropping these things!"

Mesprit was the final Pokémon to lead them to a rock, and they dropped that straight into its respective ditch with little problem. There was a rumbling sound, and the group watched as the surrounding platforms rearranged themselves, finally forming a maze of stepping stones and moving blocks.

They made their way through quickly, and soon Amber gave a gasp. A vast shadow poured through the sky overhead, dipping suddenly out of sight somewhere ahead of them. A man with blueish hair turned back from the edge where Giratina had vanished to, and the three humans faced off tensely.

"Cyrus."

"Forgive me for not learning your name. I had more important matters to attend to."

"Like being terrified out of your wits by an inter-dimensional Pokémon, then kidnapped and abandoned?" Amber smirked. Cyrus clenched his fists.

"I was not frightened in the least. You are gravely mistaken. As for the shadow Pokémon… it left me here almost immediately. I know not why."

Cynthia glared at him and strode forwards. "Well, where did it go?"

Cyrus ignored her. "Do either of you understand the concept of DNA?" Cynthia looked nonplussed.

"I hardly think that applies-"

"DeoxyriboNucleic Acid." Amber then proceeded to spell the entire thing out before continuing. "The code that writes life. Formed in a double-helix shape, made from proteins… er… and it… actually, that's all I know. I just like spelling long words."

Cyrus gave her a disdainful glance, then turned away. Amber considered how easy it would be to give him a shove and watch him fall into the abyss below.

"Impressive knowledge. What I was going to say was that since it is formed from two separate chains, it is a lot like this world and our world. One may not exist without the other, and if one is broken, the other will replicate it." He smirked to himself and quietly pressed on with his speech, knowing the other two were listening intently. "This world is created purely from that shadowy Pokémon. If one were to, say, defeat it… stow its energy in a Pokéball… this world would cease to exist. And without this world… so would yours."

Amber considered this. Was he correct? No, she thought, no he couldn't be right about that. It was too important. But what if he was?

"Amber. Go ahead. Defeat Giratina, and trust that Cyrus is wrong." Cynthia placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't look back at her. "No one can say you didn't try."

"Can't we turn back?"

"If we do that, the portal will remain open, and our world will slowly collapse."

"So either way, we're buggered."

"Don't put it like that."

Amber steeled herself and stomped up to Cyrus from behind, landing a well-placed kick to the back of his knee. He swore angrily as the joint made his leg buckle beneath him and he landed on his other knee in the dust. "What in the name of…"

"If we're going to die, I hardly think it matters if I take out some stress on you before we blink out." Amber turned away as the Galactic leader got to his feet again, and headed off towards where the Lake Pokémon were waiting anxiously.

"Not so fast!" She heard the sound of a Pokémon being sent out, and glanced back at Cyrus and the Honchkrow that was now occupying the space between her and the angry-looking man.

"Fine. We have all the time in the world," she said sarcastically. "Not like everyone's depending on me for- HAHAHAHA!" She stopped mid-sentence and burst out laughing, fleeing insanely to the Lake Trio and leaping blindly forwards. A platform appeared underfoot and even though she found herself unable to stop, more appeared until she slowed to a halt just at the end of the line. The Lake Pokémon waited nearby. "Teach him a lesson, Cynthia! I sure as hell don't have time to do it myself!" she yelled back over her shoulder, knowing that the battle was probably already underway. Still, leaving Cyrus in the lurch like that had done wonders for the tension.

There was a rumbling sound and a rush of air, and Amber was unable to look away from the deep red eyes staring into hers.

"Giratina," she breathed, heart beating faster than it ever had in her life. It lifted its head up to level with the trainer's own, and let out a bloodcurdling screech.

Amber reached for a Pokéball.


	5. The Battle

The Feraligatr materialised in front of Amber, its eyes widening as it saw what it was about to fight. Giratina let out another loud roar, and Amber heard the battle between Cyrus and Cynthia die down to nothing as (she assumed) they both stopped what they were doing to watch her own fateful encounter with Giratina.

"Rexxie, no time to waste. Everyone's depending on us. If I told you the full situation, it'd distract you. Use Aqua Tail!"

The Big Jaw Pokémon roared its acknowledgement and sped forwards, turning at the last minute and slamming its blue-glowing tail into its opponent. Giratina faltered for a moment and then retaliated with Shadow Force, vanishing into thin air. Amber set her teeth. It could be anywhe-

"Feraligatr!" She felt the wind knocked out of her as the Pokémon hurled itself into her, knocking her flat on her back as Giratina rushed out of the shadows and into the exact place she'd been standing, smacking Feraligatr upwards. "Fera…" Rexxie landed and dropped to all fours, heavy jaws clacking together in anticipation of her opponent's next move. The Shadow Force attack had taken a lot out of her, but she was used to taking hits.

Giratina rushed straight at the Feraligatr, but she leapt out of the way with surprising agility and, with a swift command from her trainer, splashed down with a Waterfall attack straight onto the Renegade Pokémon's back.

"Okay! Now use Ice Fang!" Taking advantage of her position, Rexxie bit down hard on Giratina's back with glowing, icy blue teeth. A patch of ice spread slowly from her jaws until the creature thrashed enough to knock her away, smashing the ice in the process. While she was in the air, Giratina whipped its tail straight into her, slamming her over the edge of the levitating platforms. Amber panicked and returned the Pokémon to its Pokéball, backing off as Giratina loomed towards her, casting a different Pokéball out into the air. A flash of red, and a Gallade stood protectively before her.

"Mark, u-use Psycho Cut!"

Giratina roared again and rocks around them rose into the air, whizzing towards the Gallade with frightening speed. Blades extended from Mark's arms and he whirled around in a complicated mesh of movements, the rocks crumbling on his blades and dropping harmlessly to the floor. The blades then glowed a bright magenta colour and the Gallade loosed two curved bolts of energy at Giratina. They hit, and the Pokémon gave a cry of anger as it was forced backwards.

"It's using Dragon Claw! Look out!" The black and red spikes on the Renegade Pokémon's back shot forwards. Mark was unable to move out of the way in time, giving a gasp of shock as they ripped across his torso, flinging him into a rock where he slid down and then fell out of sight, unconscious. Amber sprinted to the edge and returned him before he got out of range of the Pokéball.

02, her sure-footed Rapidash, was up next. He pawed the ground in frustration as his Fire Blast failed to connect, but the Quick Claw around his neck glowed for a second as he dodged a swipe from Dragon Claw. Another Fire Blast, and his fiery mane diminished little by little. It seemed like the fight was hopeless, and as the Rapidash ran out of energy, he sent one last flame attack towards Giratina and it washed over the Pokémon's golden-yellow helmet before he collapsed and Amber sent out Stat in his place.

"Stat, you're my last hope. Good luck."

"Luxray, lux!" Stat nimbly arced into the air as she dodged Dragon Claw, her black fur sparking with static as she used Charge. A strong wind picked up and made both the Pokémon and her trainer shudder. Ominous Wind at first didn't seem like it had done anything, but the Luxray began trembling as her paws hit the ground again. She perked up a few seconds later, leaping to the side to avoid the boulders that now flew at her from all angles. But the rocks soon stopped glowing and flew out of sight downwards, Giratina backing away ever so slightly.

It was then that Amber realised that they still had a chance. Her other Pokémon had weakened the Pokémon even if it seemed like they hadn't inflicted any damage. It was up to Stat to finish the fight.

The Luxray took on a more threatening pose, tail in the air and mane fanned out a little. She sensed that victory was close, and it gave her trainer a renewed sense of determination.

"Stat! I don't know what will happen if this Pokémon falls, but promise me you'll give it your best shot!"

"Luuuh!" With a flick of the tail, the still-sparking Pokémon charged forwards, opening her mouth to reveal sharp fangs lit up with electricity. Giratina, too, flew towards them. Time seemed to slow.

Amber heard herself scream, "Now!!" as if she were hearing it from a long way away. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon leapt upwards, Giratina unable to stop in time and flying straight underneath it. Teeth fastened around Giratina's tail; energy flew in all directions. Amber felt the earth shake as the Pokémon finally crashed to the ground, its long body dragging along the rock and its face stopping inches from the trainer.

The dust settled. Its eyes faded to darkness, shaded by its gold helmet.

Nothing happened for a long time.

A daring smile crept onto the girl's face as Stat staggered back towards her, relatively unharmed despite her tough battle.

They had won… and the world still turned.


	6. Growing Down

A/N - Sorry if the previous chapter was a bit short and bitter. I tend to dislike writing battles… can you tell? xD

***

Amber dropped to her knees and tentatively laid a hand on the monstrous Pokémon's forehead. The metallic golden substance was cold to the touch. She stayed there in silence for a good few minutes before she saw a hand sneak in front of her. She took it, and allowed Cynthia to pull her to her feet.

"Thanks."

"I don't think it's you who should be feeling grateful right now. You just saved the entirety of Sinnoh." The older Champion smiled. "And next, you're off to take up my position at the League."

Amber shook her head. "About that… I don't want to. I still have a lot of places and Pokémon and people to see. Being tied down to the Pokémon League doesn't suit me."

"You're legally obliged-"

"Uh-huh, sure. But I'm not doing it." She smiled, and Cynthia let out a tired laugh.

"I don't believe you-"

Footsteps and then silence.

"I don't… That… That shadowy Pokémon was defeated!?"

"Cyrus, let it go." Amber suddenly felt a lot more mature than she had when she first saw the portal to the Distortion World.

"Your doing so means that this irrational world will remain in existence! Does that make it impossible for me to create a new world?" Amber didn't reply – just nodded. He knew the answer anyway. "Even if I made new Red Chains, the new world can't be made! Why!? What compels you to protect the two worlds? Is spirit, a vague and incomplete thing, so important to you!?"

Cynthia glared at him and stalked past him, her shoulder catching his roughly on the way. "Someone has a lot to learn about spirit."

"I'm sorry, Cyrus."

"Silence!"

"No, really. I spoke to your grandfather about a month ago. I didn't realise who he was talking about at first, but now I'm sure."

"Enough of your blathering!"

Amber took a deep, cleansing breath and turned back to gaze down at Giratina. Stat nuzzled her hand and she returned the exhausted Pokémon to its Heal Ball. "And the same goes for that nice old couple in Sunyshore. Sorry you had to grow up the way you did."

"What would a mere child know of an adult's past?"

"You were one once. I'd feel sorry for your parents, if I didn't know that it was their fault." She held up a hand, silencing him before he could retaliate. The shock of having his plans ripped to shreds was enough to keep him quiet for the moment. "Spirit, you see, is important. You'd love to think you have none left, but you do. Everyone does. Even Giratina. Palkia. Dialga. You tried to mess up their free spirit, and that's why your plans failed. It's important to know what you're dealing with, and your research was too fixed and inflexible to allow for spirit – which is a lot more important than you think."

"That's how you justify spirit as something worthwhile?"

"Pokémon and humans have it. It's our will to keep going even when there seems like little chance. It's hope, mainly. And because of it, we managed to keep going. We formed bonds with Pokémon, and lived alongside them."

"That is merely humans hoping, deluding themselves that they are happy and safe! The emotions broiling inside me... Rage, hatred, frustration... These ugly emotions arise because of my own incomplete spirit!"

"Cyrus-"

"Enough. We will never see eye to eye. This, I promise you. I will break the secrets of the world. With that knowledge, I will create my own complete and perfect world. One day, you will awaken to a world of my creation. A world without spirit."

"You're shaking." He paused, trying to steady his hands. "I think you should spend some time alone for a while." The teenager strode back the way Cynthia had gone, not pausing to look back. Cyrus didn't care. He hoped he'd never see her again. Or her pathetic Pokémon.

A low growl from in front of him, and he cleared his head just in time to see the formidable Pokémon rise from the ground slowly, eyes locked on him. There was a long, tension-ridden silence. Cyrus turned away and walked off. Giratina watched him leave, satisfied, and drifted off through the murk.

---

Tommy paced anxiously back and forth in front of the portal, feeling it tugging at him like some kind of miniature black hole. This was as close as he dared to get; he knew there was no point in following Amber and Cynthia through the portal, and Cynthia herself had left specific instructions not to go after them. He turned to the man in the brown coat angrily.

"What are you doing here, anyway? Who are you, really?"

"They… They call me Looker," he explained, confused. Why was the boy suddenly paying attention? "As a member of the International Poli- er. No. Wait. That is something I am not."

"A-ha! I knew there was something weird about you! You're a secret agent!" He pounded his fist into his other hand, finally figuring it out. "That explains everything. But why'd they send a dope like you to something this important?"

Looker frowned and decided to ignore the over-enthusiastic boy. "Enough of your banter."

At that moment, two dark shapes spilled out of the portal into a heap on the ground. A third, Cyrus, stepped out after the two, and with a look of disgust he picked his way around them and set off down the stone steps. Looker stepped forwards to apprehend him, but the flash of a Pokéball and the wingbeats of a Honchkrow carried the Team Galactic leader way out of reach and he was soon a diminishing speck against the sky.

"H-hey, guys." Amber disentangled herself from Cynthia's hair and flashed her an apologetic look, then stepped forwards and helped the Champion up off the floor.

"Amber!" Tommy pounced on her with a bear-hug, and she laughed weakly. "I knew you'd come back! I knew it!"

"Well, you sure as hell better not have doubted me," she grinned.

Cynthia dusted herself off and produced an Escape Rope from inside her coat, hooking it around a pillar and casting the rest off the edge. "As much as I wish I could have battled Giratina, I admire your efforts, and I'm glad it's all over. I must return to the Pokémon League."

"See you, Cynth."

"Don't call me that." With that, the trainer abseiled out of sight over the edge. Amber grinned at a nonplussed Tommy.

"I told her I didn't want to be Champion. I think she was secretly glad she didn't have to give up her position." Tommy shrugged.

"You were always weird, but this takes the cake."

Amber dropped a Pokéball to the floor. Her Gallade appeared in a haze of light, and she reached into her bag, drawing out a Hyper Potion and applying it liberally to the Pokémon's various grazes and injuries from its fight earlier.

"Think you can Teleport us to Hearthome City?" she asked, when the bottle was empty.

"Gallade!" It began glowing pinkish-purple, but stopped again and glanced questioningly over to Looker.

"You coming too?" Amber called. At first, it didn't seem like the man was listening, but he perked up and looked confused. "Come on, free trip to Hearthome, no return ticket. Or do you plan to fight your way back down again and get your big stupid coat all ruffled?"

Tommy stifled a laugh as the agent approached them, looking wary.

"What are you planning to do?"

Amber gave a huff of frustration and nodded to Mark. The Gallade smirked and stepped forwards, taking hold of Looker's coat and giving him quite the scare in the process. Amber put a hand on Mark's other arm, and Tommy followed suit. They all winked out of sight, reappearing a moment later in front of Hearthome City's Pokémon Centre.

Looker staggered back in fright. "What – where are we?"

"Hearthome City."

"But-"

"Gallade used Teleport!" she mimicked the announcers on the televised battles she used to watch as a child. "Looker is Confused!" The dizzy police agent backed off a little more and promptly hit a lamppost.

"Looker hurt itself in confusion," Tommy remarked, grinning.

The man put a hand to his head, the bruise there becoming more painful by the minute, and recovered from his ordeal. "Fine. I will not pretend to know what just happened."

"Teleport. I told you."

"No! No. At the mountain's peak."

"Oh. Not much."

Looker looked mildly irked, but he seemed to have given up on trying to figure out the situation. He was beginning to wish his job wasn't so complicated most of the time.

"I planned on giving this to you," he explained, a hand diving into his pocket and pulling out a small, gleaming object. It looked like a musical instrument of some kind. "I have no need for it, and have never used it. But I thought you may put it to good use." Amber took the object and examined it closely. "It is a Black Flute. It repels wild Pokémon due to… the pitch. I think. I do not wish to try." He turned and stalked off.

"What, you're just buggering off to do your own thing again? Fine! Not like you're meant to say goodbye!"

"Man, that guy is weird. What do you think of the flute, though? Gonna keep it?" Tommy asked, snatching it out of her hands and turning it over a few times. She grabbed it back off him and grinned.

"You bloody bet I'm keeping it. Do you realise how annoying it is to be stuck in a forest with no Max Repels?" She laughed and dragged her friend by the sleeve into the Pokémon Centre. Amber felt like she'd grown up a little, but she wasn't exactly keen on the idea. Hell… she'd probably act like a kid when she was as old as Professor Oak. She laughed at the idea, and got some weird looks from other people in the room.

Yep. Screw being responsible. She'd had enough of that for one day.


End file.
